Akre and Wilson tried to get the truth out about Monsanto's genetically
engineered cattle drug rBGH. Fox TV was busy promoting their journalists
programme until they got a call from Monsanto... Akre and Wilson have ended
up having to take on not just Monsanto but America's corporate media and
judiciary.

"Nothing in the decision that reversed the verdict at trial absolved
FOX of what the jury found to be misconduct in pressuring a reporter to
go on the air with a false story just to protect its advertisers," said
Akre. "They may call it vindication but overturning a jury's decision on
a technicality that it's not illegal to lie on the public airwaves is not
vindication in the mind of any honest and ethical journalist."

Jane Akre and Steve Wilson, the two former FOX Television (WTVT-13)
journalists have filed appeals of a ruling that they must pay the legal
costs and fees the broadcaster incurred defending itself in a landmark
whistleblower case the reporters filed in 1998. The journalists estimate
FOX spent than a million dollars on its defense.

The ruling assessing the fees came on the heels of a ruling overturned
a August 2000 jury verdict and $425,000 award to FOX investigative reporter
Jane Akre. Although jurors concluded she was pressured by FOX lawyers and
managers to broadcast what the jury agreed was "a false, distorted or slanted
story" and was fired for threatening to blow the whistle, the jury decision
was reversed on a legal technicality when a higher court agreed with FOX
that it is technically not against any law, rule or regulation

In setting the jury verdict aside, the appeals court ruled that in order
to be protected by Florida‚s Whistleblower Act, the alleged misconduct
must violate a written law. The court said the FCC‚s prohibition against
news distortion is merely a policy.

Fox lawyers had made the same argument on at least six occasions when
it was rejected each time by three different judges in the trial court
proceedings.

"First, the jury's decision is overturned on a technicality and a very
narrow reading of the Whistleblower protection law, then the court sets
the stage for FOX to destroy us financially," Wilson said. "This is cannot
be consistent with the intent of state lawmakers who wrote a Whistleblower
law to encourage and protect people who have the courage against all odds
to stand up and call attention to wrongdoing."

"Nothing in the decision that reversed the verdict at trial absolved
FOX of what the jury found to be misconduct in pressuring a reporter to
go on the air with a false story just to protect it‚s advertisers," said
Akre. "They may call it vindication but overturning a jury‚s decision on
a technicality that it‚s not illegal to lie on the public airwaves is not
vindication in the mind of any honest and ethical journalist.

"The truth is Rupert Murdoch and the big-money Washington law firm [Williams
& Connelly] that represented FOX here have forced us to make another
difficult decision about appealing these decisions that set a dangerous
precedent in two important areas," Akre continued.

"Our lawyers have told us there are ample grounds to appeal the decision
that overturned the jury verdict. Left to stand, no other journalist can
ever prevail even when, as in this case, he or she is pressured to deliberately
lie on the air," said Akre. "What will that mean for honesty in future
broadcasts when unethical station owners and managers put their own interests
ahead of honest reporting?

"But also of vital importance," Wilson continued, "is the state‚s ruling
that sets the stage for future, well-intentioned whistleblowers who do
not ultimately prevail in court to be saddled with the employer‚s legal
fees and court costs. This is a precedent that will hush-up ever Florida
whistleblower not only in journalism, but in medicine and finance and every
other walk that can victimize residents of our state.

"Given the tens of thousands of dollars it costs to appeal to Florida‚s
Supreme Court, we are forced to choose one appeal or the other," Wilson
said. "We have chosen to seek reconsideration of the ruling we see as the
most dangerous of the two --- the one that could discourage all future
whistleblowers."

The appeal on the issue of legal fees was filed on behalf of the journalists
Friday, February 28. The motion asks for reconsideration of the issue
by the same judges, by all of the appeals judges in the Second District,
or for a writ to take the issue to the Florida Supreme Court.

"If we had Rupert Murdoch‚s money [$5.5 Billion], we could continue
the fight on both fronts," Akre said. "We are just one family trying our
best to stand up for what we believe is right. And we will not drop the
issue that allows broadcasters the right to pressure reporters to lie distort
the news.

"We are continuing to prepare a complaint to the Federal Communications
Commission where we shall also challenge FOX's license renewal in wake
of their misconduct here," she said.

"At the very least, if there is no law, rule or regulation against using
the public airwaves to knowingly present news that is false and distorted,
it‚s time the FCC or the Congress write one," Wilson added. "Clearly, our
case shows you cannot count on all broadcasters to act ethically
and honestly in reporting the news and putting the public interest ahead
of their own."